Eirik the Red's Saga eBook

to the west, and who were called bondmen. One
of these was named Vifil; he was a man of high family,
and had been taken captive beyond the western main,
and was also called a bondman before Aud set him free.
And when Aud granted dwellings to her ship’s
company, Vifil asked why she gave no abode to him like
unto the others. Aud replied, “That it
was of no moment to him, for,” she said, “he
would be esteemed in whatever place he was, as one
worthy of honour.” She gave him Vifilsdalr
(Vifilsdale), and he dwelt there and married.
His sons were Thorbjorn and Thorgeir, promising men,
and they grew up in their father’s house.

2. There was a man named Thorvald, the son of
Asvald, the son of Ulf, the son of Yxna-Thoris.
His son was named Eirik. Father and son removed
from Jadar (in Norway) to Iceland, because of manslaughters,
and occupied land in Hornstrandir, and dwelt at Drangar.
There Thorvald died, and Eirik then married Thjodhild,
daughter of Jorund, the son of Atli, and of Thorbjorg
the Ship-breasted, whom afterwards Thorbjorn, of the
Haukadalr (Hawkdale) family, married; he it was who
dwelt at Eiriksstadr after Eirik removed from the north.
It is near Vatzhorn. Then did Eirik’s thralls
cause a landslip on the estate of Valthjof, at Valthjofsstadr.
Eyjolf the Foul, his kinsman, slew the thralls beside
Skeidsbrekkur (slopes of the race-course), above Vatzhorn.
In return Eirik slew Eyjolf the Foul; he slew also
Hrafn the Dueller, at Leikskalar (playbooths).
Gerstein, and Odd of Jorfi, kinsman of Eyjolf, were
found willing to follow up his death by a legal prosecution;
and then was Eirik banished from Haukadalr. He
occupied then Brokey and Eyxney, and dwelt at Tradir,
in Sudrey, the first winter. At this time did
he lend to Thorgest pillars for seat-stocks, Afterwards
Eirik removed into Eyxney, and dwelt at Eiriksstadr.
He then claimed his pillars, and got them not.
Then went Eirik and fetched the pillars from Breidabolstadr,
and Thorgest went after him. They fought at a
short distance from the hay-yard at Drangar, and there
fell two sons of Thorgest, and some other men.
After that they both kept a large body of men together.
Styr gave assistance to Eirik, as also did Eyjolf,
of Sviney, Thorbjorn Vifilsson, and the sons of Thorbrand,
of Alptafjordr (Swanfirth). But the sons of Thord
Gellir, as also Thorgeir, of Hitardalr (Hotdale),
Aslak, of Langadalr (Longdale), and Illugi, his son,
gave assistance to Thorgest. Eirik and his people
were outlawed at Thorsnes Thing. He prepared
a ship in Eiriksvagr (creek), and Eyjolf concealed
him in Dimunarvagr while Thorgest and his people sought
him among the islands. Eirik said to his people
that he purposed to seek for the land which Gunnbjorn,
the son of Ulf the Crow, saw when he was driven westwards
over the ocean, and discovered Gunnbjarnarsker (Gunnbjorn’s
rock or skerry). He promised that he would return
to visit his friends if he found the land. Thorbjorn,
and Eyjolf, and Styr accompanied Eirik beyond the